Rail-joint.



W. BARNETT. RAIL JOINT. APPLIOATION'FILED JUNE 22, 1910.

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THE NORRIS PETERS 60., WASHINGTON, n. c.

Patented Mar. '7, 1911.

w. BARNETT.

RAIL JOINT. v

APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 22, 1910.

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WHEELER BARNETT, OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7, 1911.

Application filed June 22, 1910. Serial No. 568,367.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WHEELER BARNETT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Knoxville, in the county of Knox and State of Tennessee,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail Joints, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a device for connecting the adjacent ends ofrailway rails.

The object of this invention is to provide a device of the abovecharacter, by the employment of which the use of fish-plates or bolts isdispensed with, and which, while affording security against the lateraland vertical displacement of the rails, will also admit of the slightcreeping of the rails due to the changes of temperature.

In the accompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification, andin which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughoutthe same, Figure 1 is a side view of the device and showing the same asapplied to the rails, Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the same, Fig. 3is an end view of the same, the rail being shown in section, Fig. 4 is ahorizontal sectional view taken upon the line 4 1 of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is aview of the opposite end of the device as shown in Fig. 3, the railsbeing removed, Fig. 6 is a side view of a wedge constituting a portionof my invention, Fig. 7 is an end view of the same, and Fig. 8 is a sideview of a modified form of wedge.

In the drawings, wherein is illustrated a preferred embodiment of myinvention, the numeral 1 designates the body portion of the device,which may be termed a chair. This body portion or chair is provided asshown, with a longitudinally extending main opening 2, which is boundedupon one side by a section of material 3 having a vertical longitudinalwall 1. This opening 2 is bounded upon its opposite side by a section ofmaterial 5, spaced away from the section 3, and having an inner wall 6,which is oblique with relation to a longitudinal axis of the chair. Oneend of the section 5 is provided with a wall 7 having an opening 8extending therethrough as shown. The wall 7 partially closes one end ofthe opening 2.- The chair 1 is further provided with longitudinally andhorizontally disposed openings 9 and 10, formed through the section 3and the wall 7 respectively. The chair is provided upon its bottom wallwith plates having longitudinally disposed rows of teeth 11, as

shown. This chair may further be provided with a plurality of ribs 12.The base of the chair 1 is provided upon its longitudinal edges .withrecesses 13, to receive suitable spikes. The plates provided with theteeth 11 have openings 14: extending therethrough, which register withcertain of the recesses 13.

As shown in the drawings, the adjacent ends of rails 15 and 16 aredisposed within the chair, so that their bases fit within the horizontalopening 9, below the section 3. The base of the rail 15 will also fitwithin the opening 10 below the wall 7 The webs 17 of the rails 15 and16 will then engage the Wall 4: of the section 3 and be prevented fromlateral displacement in that direction. The section 3 of the chair isprovided with a plurality of spaced horizontal transverse openings 18,to receive removable studs 19.

The rails 15 and 16 are provided with slightly elongated openings 20extending through their webs 17, for the reception of the inner ends ofthe studs 19. It is to be understood that the openings 20 are elongatedslightly in a horizontal direction, to permit of the slight longitudinalmovement of the rails 15 and 16, but said openings do not permit of therelative vertical movement of said rails with relation to the studs 19.The opening 2 above referred to, is wedgeshaped and adapted to receive awedge 21, as shown. This wedge 21 is provided with a longitudinallydisposed flange 22, to fit over the section 5, as clearly illustrated inFig. 3. This wedge is further provided adjacent its reduced end, with anextension 23, which is normally disposed upon the wall 7 The extension23 may be provided with an opening 24L to receive a cotter pin 25, orthe like. Ad-

jacent the section 5, the base of the chair is provided with a rib 26,upon which the wedge 21 is disposed to move longitudinally, (see Figs. 3and The rib 26 retains the wedge 21 in spaced relation to the base ofthe chair 1, so that the bases of the rails 15 and 16 will fit below thewedge. The section 5 inclines inwardly from the vertical, so that theupward movement of the wedge 21 is prevented, it being understood thatthe wall 27 of said wedge is also inclined inwardly from the vertical,as shown.

Means are provided to hold the wedge 21 in a proper position within theopening 2, so that the rails 15 and 16 are prevented from lateral andvertical displacements, yet permitted to have slight longitudinalmovements. To this end the wedge 21 is provided with an axial opening28, which leads into a larger opening 29. A bolt 30 is longitudinallymovably mounted within the opening 28, and has a head 31 which isdisposed within the opening 29, as shown. A washer 32 is preferablyplaced upon the bolt 30 adjacent its head 31, and a compressible coilspring 33 surrounds the portion of the bolt within the opening 29, andis confined between said washer and the end wall of said opening 29. Theouter end of the bolt 30 is disposed within the opening 8 formed throughthe wall 7, and is screw threaded as shown at 34, for the reception of anut 35. As clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, the wedge 21 is held in itsproper position by the tension of the spring 33, and it is obvious thatthis tension may be varied by proper manipulation of the nut 35.

A slightly modified form of wedge is shown in Fig. 8, and the same isdesignated by the numeral 36. This wedge is precisely like wedge 21,except that the wedge 36 is provided upon its outer wall withlongitudinally disposedrecesses 37 and 38, to receive the bolt 30. Thehead of the bolt 30 and the spring 33 are disposed within the largerrecess 38. In this form of wedge, it is obvious that the bolt 30 may beplaced in position by a lateral movement of the same, in comparison withthe longitudinal movement of said bolt when being placed within theopenings of the wedge 21. lVhen the wedge has been placed in its properposition, as shown in Fig. 4, it is obvious that the same may be readilyremoved by unscrewing the nut 35 from the bolt 30 and removing the pin25. Ordinarily the pin 25 does not control the movement of the bolt 30,and the same is provided in the event of the nut 35 being accidentallyremoved, in which case the pin 25 will engage the wall 7 and accordinglyprevent the wedge from further longitudinal movement. After the wedgehas been removed, the studs 19 may be readily removed from within theopenings 18, by inserting a suitable tool through the outer ends of saidopenings and forcing said studs inwardly until the same fall within theopening 2. After the studs have been removed the rails 15 and 16 may bewithdrawn from the chair by a longitudinal movement of the same.

I wish it understood that the form of invention herewith shown anddescribed is to be taken as a preferred example of the same,

' and that certain changes in the size, shape and arrangement of partsmay be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of my invention ofthe scope of the sub-joined claims.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a device of the character described, a chair provided with a mainlongitudinally disposed opening, a wedge disposed within said opening tohave slight longitudinal movement therein, a wall to partially close oneend of said opening, said wedge being provided with an opening, elasticmeans disposed within the last named opening, and means to connect saidelastic means with said wall.

2. In a device of the character described, a chair provided with a mainlongitudinally disposed opening, a wedge disposed within the opening tohave slight longitudinal movement therein, a wall to partially close oneend of said opening, said wedge being provided with a longitudinalopening, a spring disposed within said opening, a bolt connected withsaid spring, and means to connect said bolt with said wall.

3. In a device of the character described, a chair provided with a mainlongitudinally disposed opening, a wedge disposed within said opening,said wedge being provided with a longitudinal opening, elastic meansdisposed within the last named opening, fixed means, and adjustableconnecting means between the elastic means and fixed.

means.

4. In a device of the character described, a chair provided with a mainopening, a wedge to be disposed within said main opening to have slightlongitudinal movements therein, and means arranged within said wedge toyieldingly restrict such movements.

5. In a device of the character described,

a chair comprising a base and a fixed section spaced away from saidbase, a wedge to cooperate with said fixed section, a rib on which saidwedge is movably mounted, and elastic means to limit the movement ofsaid wedge.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

IVHEELER BARNETT. lVitnesses J. E. KITE, B. B. MATHES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing" the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

